Comment: Marine lake walk an asset for all

May 16 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

A SUNNY summer afternoon on Merseyside is always the perfect excuse for a walk along the historic Marine Lake, at West Kirby. So today’s news that the route is under threat from coastal erosion is a story that will concern many of our readers.

This lovely walk could be lost forever unless emergency repairs are carried out to the outer wall of the lake as a matter of urgency.

This is not the first time Wirral council has been forced to intervene and save West Kirby from the forces of nature.

In the 1980s, the outer wall had become so badly eroded that it seemed at one point as though the most viable option was to demolish and abandon the lake wall.

Fortunately, the decision to repair and sustain the Marine Lake was made. Now, two decades later, the council is facing yet more investment to preserve this much-loved spot.

The fact that the cost of repairs would be in the region of £750,000, and the lake would have to close to the public while work was under way, is likely to be a cause of concern for some – especially local businesses who benefit from visitors’ open pockets.

But Wirral Council’s willingness to press ahead with this project should be welcomed, as it protects not only the walk’s future but also demonstrates a willingness by Wirral planners to find an achievable solution to what is likely to become a recurring issue.

For, while the popular walk looks to be safeguarded for the moment, coastal erosion is never going to go away.

Wirral council and its taxpayers face a sustained and ongoing commitment to the Marine Lake. In years to come, the ravages of time and tide are bound to necessitate more investment and potentially greater costs.

These decisions will doubtless have to be reached on merit, but it would be a sad day if families were no longer able to stroll along the lake and enjoy one of the loveliest views to be found anywhere in the region.